Chef Antonio Park's Asian salads begin with a single basic dressing, which he makes in large quantity and stores in the refrigerator in a well-sealed ...

MONTREAL — It’s easy to get excited about the newness of the first vegetables of spring — the snap of pencil-thin local asparagus, the leafiness of baby spinach.

But after a summer’s worth of fresh local strawberries, corn and tomatoes, the late-fall harvest often gets short shrift. As the growing season winds down, though, there are still many nutritious and delicious squashes, brassicas and root vegetables to enjoy.

Cabbage doesn’t usually inspire excitement, but I found myself eating right out of the pot the other night, after cooking Stelio Perombelon’s genius braised cabbage with ginger.

Perombelon, the inventive chef who has run the kitchen at some of Montreal’s best restaurants — among them Leméac, the now-closed Les Chèvres and most recently Sinclair — is in the middle of writing a cookbook about vegetables. He has been in the kitchen creating recipes with his signature style: lots of flavour and nice textures. He was at Jacques Rémillard’s farm in St-Michel-de-Napierville the other day, and came away with an assortment of cabbages.

“Most of us think of cabbage and remember the boiled, not-so-tasty cabbage of our youth. But it doesn’t have to be that way,” Perombelon said from his kitchen.

He recalled a gingered cabbage dish from his childhood with the flavours of Mauritius, where he was born, and set about recreating it using just a few basic ingredients. It is a fast and simple braised dish that is so good, you can’t stop eating it. Even picky children love it. Honest.

Perombelon says the best way to appreciate nutrient-rich fall vegetables is to refrain from overcooking, and to prepare them simply, which allows the veggies’ flavours to shine.

When he makes squash soup, for example, he uses water instead of chicken broth. He might add a spoonful of Thai red curry paste when he sautés the onion and garlic, or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the very end, but he keeps seasonings to a minimum so the sweet, smooth taste of the squash isn’t masked. He looks for flavourful varieties, such as the French potimarron, a small winter squash with bright orange skin and flesh that tastes of chestnut.

Roasting is another secret to maximizing flavour and coaxing lovely textures out of squashes, root vegetables, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower. The secret is to set the oven at 400 or 425 degrees F and get it good and hot. At high heat, the sugars in the vegetables caramelize, flavours concentrate and edges get crisp. Cutting the vegetables exposes plenty of surface area for maximum crispiness. Make sure to cut the vegetables into uniform pieces so they brown evenly. Equally important is arranging the vegetables in a single layer, without overcrowding, so that they roast and don’t steam.

Here are two ways Perombelon turns late-fall vegetables into something to get excited about.

Gingered Braised Cabbage

Serves 4

This couldn’t be simpler: Shred cabbage and braise it over low heat with onions, garlic and plenty of ginger. Serve with brown rice and sprinkle with chopped nuts or toasted sunflower seeds.

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2-inch piece of ginger root, peeled and finely grated

1 head cabbage, coarsely shredded or finely sliced

Freshly squeezed juice of half a lemon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large Dutch oven, over medium-high heat, heat the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion, garlic and ginger, and sauté for a few minutes until tender but not browned. Add cabbage, stir and cover. Reduce heat to low and continue cooking for another 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is tender. Remove lid and cook until liquid has evaporated. Stir in lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

Serve warm, atop a bed of white or brown rice. Sprinkle with toasted nuts or sunflower seeds, if desired.

Squash and Shrimp Bisque

Serves 4

Perombelon turns a simple squash soup into an elegant bisque by added raw shrimp to the hot soup just before serving. His favourite winter squash for this soup is potimarron, but butternut squash or those small pie pumpkins out now would be nice, too. Sometimes Perombelon adds a tablespoon of Thai red curry paste or a few chili pepper flakes to the onions while they are sautéing to alter the flavour.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 teaspoon finely grated ginger

1 medium potimarron squash, peeled, seeded and cut into cubes

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/2 pound large (16-20 size) shrimp, peeled and coarsely chopped

Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large saucepan. Add onion and ginger, and sauté until tender but not browned. Add squash and just enough water to barely cover the squash. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes or until squash cubes are tender.

Ladle soup into a blender and purée until smooth, working in batches if necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide shrimp among individual soup bowls and pour the hot soup over it. Leave the shrimp to “poach” in the hot soup for several minutes and serve immediately.

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